Blood-Based Control Monitors Immunosuppressant Drug Test Procedures

Immunosuppressant drugs are typically used in transplant therapy to help minimize organ rejection. They are also to treat severe skin disorders such as psoriasis and other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease (chronic inflammation of the digestive tract), and patchy hair loss (alopecia areata). Some of these conditions are autoimmune diseases, indicating that the immune system is acting against the body itself.

The new third party, human blood-based control, called Lyphocheck, offers controls for five different immunosuppressive drugs including cyclosporine, tacrolimus, and sirolimus. It can be used with immunoassay or chromatographic techniques.

Lyphocheck was developed by Bio-Rad Laboratories (Hercules, CA, USA), a manufacturer and distributor of clinical diagnostic and life science products. Being a whole blood-based material, Lyphocheck can be processed in the same manner as patient samples, ensuring quality on an ongoing basis.

The Unity Interlaboratory Program and the Unity Real Time, an expert data management software system designed to improve the effectiveness of quality control processes, are available for use with Lyphochek.


Related Links:
Bio-Rad Laboratories